I’ve been traveling for nearly two days now.
I can live in this world without regrets. Frey might miss me, but she has only herself to blame for keeping the company’s dark secrets from me. As for my sister, I’m convinced she ended up in the same room I did. There’s a high chance she’s here. I hope she is.
My left eye is still the biggest problem, maybe its injured.
The book I had on me gave me rough idea of what this world is and what situation it is in. It had an old map in it which was hard to understand already and I lost to the winds now I am just a lost sheep. Although I can only read some of its page as it has a mechanical lock that has a timer on it, the next page will unlock after 4 days according to it, what a strange mechanism.
The forest around me shifts dramatically, the vibrant greens giving way to charred remnants of what once was also part of the green forest. The landscape tells a story of destruction—a forest fire, perhaps? It didn’t spread, which means either it rained or someone extinguished it. The soil still holds moisture, meaning it haven’t been long since it was turned into a dead part of the forest.
A clanging sound catches my attention, pulling me from my thoughts. I head toward it, navigating through the burnt patches of forest until I stumble upon a denser area. After a few minutes, I find myself back in another charred clearing, where a group of green humanoids has surrounded a man. I duck behind a boulder, instinct kicking in. Goblins. Nasty little creatures, no doubt.
They encircle a figure who looks like a dwarf, though aren’t dwarves supposed to be smaller? This one stands about my height, wielding a hammer with a short handle and a massive head. I strain to hear their conversation, keeping my distance—approximately 12 to 15 meters away.
“Dwarf come, he lives, not, then die. King orders,” a goblin with a staff barks.
“You and your king may as well have a taste of my thunder. You’ll make a fine meal for the soil here,” the dwarf retorts, leaping into the air and smashing the head of one goblin with a sickening crunch. The others recoil, forming a defensive line.
“Maybe I should help him?” I ponder, but the dwarf jumps again, this time levitating as clouds swirl above him and thunder strikes down upon the goblins.
Only one thought crosses my mind: “Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Do gods exist in this world?”
But the dwarf’s attack seems less effective as the goblin mage erects a shimmering barrier, shielding himself and his comrades.
“Dwarf kill our brothers, finally tired. Now we kill!” the mage commands, retreating behind his troops.
I decide it’s time to act. I slip from behind the boulder, catching the dwarf’s eye. I gesture for him to stay quiet as I creep toward the mage, crouched low against the sunlight that could betray my shadow.
The Dwarf’s Perspective:
“Is that a demon? Oh no, I’m exhausted from these green savages chasing me for days, and now a demon? I can’t fight—I must find a way to escape.”
I fall on my knees due to extreme exhaustion.
“Wait, why is he sneaking behind the mage? And the mage can’t sense him?” Confusion clouds the dwarf’s thoughts.
“Finally, me go home. Me get reward, king and master happy.” The gobin mage says.
A shadow rises behind him.
“Huh? Who’s behind?!” he says, but it’s too late. The demon twist the mage’s neck with a swift motion. But the mage wriggles free, chanting, “Nature heals all: minor health,” as his neck snaps back into place.
“Hey! Goblins are more flexible, so that won’t work!” I shout trying to warn the demon.
“Shit,” the demon Recoils, realizing the mess he have created.
“Sun is fire, fire is hot: Flame shot!” the goblin yells, forming a fireball at the tip of his staff. It shoots toward him, but he dodges it, barely so.
The goblin steps back, casting another spell before he can regain my footing. “Bless us with rain: sun shards,” he intones, but I see nothing forming at his staff.
“Above you! Dodge!” I shout to warn the demon, as I fight the other goblins.
I look up, time slowing as I watch multiple fiery shards plummeting toward me and the demon. I cover my head with my magic shield using remaining mana.
“Haha, see? Your friend is dead!”
Smoke engulfs the.
The goblin mage turns to attack the Me.
“Now you know, me powerful! Now you die!”
However I see a shadow emerge from the smoke.
“He’s fine even after that?” I think in disbelief.
Ronin’s Perspective:
I swing my spear hard against the mage’s temple, the impact reverberating through my arm. The goblin crumples, and I grab him by the neck before he can recover.
“Try that again” I say, trying my best to avoid squeezing too tightly, not wanting to kill him—not yet. His eyes widen in terror, tears streaming down his cheeks.
“Who you? Please, no-kill! I slave, your slave. No kill!” he pleads, his voice trembling. From every tale I’ve heard, I know one thing: never trust goblins. But something in his desperation tugs at a sliver of sympathy within me. I let him go, my curiosity piqued. Earlier, that fireball didn’t even singe me. It can’t be sheer luck. I can feel the heat of the flames around me but I am unscathed even after the goblin attacked me directly.
Meanwhile, the dwarf finishes off his side of the fight, unleashing a thunderbolt that strikes the mage dead.
“Hey! I wanted that guy alive!” I shout, a mix of frustration and relief coursing through me.
“Thank you for your help, demon,” the dwarf says, catching his breath. “But that guy chased me down for ten days without letting me rest, eat, or do anything in peace. Why did you help me? Are you not part of the demon lord’s army?”
“Whoa, whoa! Don’t just judge me based on my black suit! I’m a human, not a demon,” I retort, a hint of indignation creeping into my voice.
“That’s fine and all, but you can’t hide your identity when you’re swinging your demon hand around,” he replies, suspicion lingering in his tone.
“Yeah, I get why you’d think that. Wait a moment.” I pull off my mask, revealing my face. The dwarf’s eyes widen in shock.
“By the gods, how is this possible?” he exclaims.
“Well, maybe we can talk while we walk. I want to get out of this forest, and I assume you want the same?”
“Gladly. My name is Warzheil. I don’t want the lich to find me as well, so let’s leave this cursed place. Although this is very embarrassing to ask but could you carry me on your back? I am exhausted from days of suffering and lack of proper rest.” Warzheil pleads with exhausted expression.
I agree to him. As we move, I begin to share my story.
“Hey, don’t you have any suspicion about whether I’m lying?” I ask, curious.
“Its hard to believe for anyone but not for me, After what you told me, you’re clearly not from around here. I’d be suspicious if it weren’t for the current situation. You see, there was a dragon who became a god by worshipping a deity that no one other than him believed in. As a blessing for his devotion, his god granted him powers that made him stronger than the current god-king. We call him Drax.”
“What does that have to do with me?” I inquire, my interest piqued.
“It’s related to you for sure. You see, Drax was my friend. About three days ago, he performed a summoning ritual that drained most of his powers. A dragon named Zamba was waiting for such a chance and attacked Drax in his weakened state. He asked me to find the avatar of the god he summoned, just in case something went wrong. If you’re from the Earth that the myths speak of, then you’re the one I’ve been searching for.”
“Wait a second. I wasn’t pulled in by a portal, though. I…” My voice trails off, uncertainty creeping in. I remember the moment I was taken from my world, the strange energy that enveloped me, and the visions of the forest that haunted my dreams.
“Don’t worry. Even if you deny it, your left eye says it all.”
“My left eye?” I ask, confused.
What could he mean? Is there something about my eye that reveals my identity?
Seeing my bewilderment, Warzheil pulls out a small mirror from an even smaller pocket. How does he fit such a large mirror in there? He brings it closer to my face.
My left eye! It mirrors the black orb that shot a laser at the demon in my dreams. My pupil is jet black. That explains why I’ve been seeing outlines of everything around me. Even my reflection looks like I’m back in my twenties, have I become young again?.
We keep moving as questions fill my head and I fight to calm my mind.
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVEdzTllGS
